her father had always been different to her mother. even at her age, that much had fast become apparent. he had a certain aura about him that she lacked; whereas her mother had always been volatile, her father always seemed to have a much more mild nature. in fact, it is him that she dreamed of in the early morning. she had pulled herself away from her siblings, sprawled out and desperate for space in their cramped quarters. she dreamed of her father, though he had no exceptional qualities in such a dreamscape; he merely existed, surrounded by whispered questions and swirls of colours. she took it to mean that she had no true understanding of him, not entirely at least. like the outside world, there was ceaseless more to discover. it had been a good dream though and she had little reason to stir even as she felt herself being pulled away from her mother. she had opened her eyes moments before, after all, to the pale form of her father inching closer and closer.

he placed her down and she instantly rose, her legs stretched beneath her as she shook her pale fur free from debris. it felt good to feel new earth beneath her paws. of course, did not focus on the sensation long. rather, she had turned to watch her father as he circled her, captivated by the way he seemed to look over her with such intensity. she attempted to mirror it and yet, she hadn't a clue what it was she ought to have been looking for. even as he approached to display affection, she had no inclination to return the favor; rather, she leaned into it and nothing more. like a blackhole, she would take in all the light she could but she would never emit it back. not now, at least. all his affection could not stop the hole within her from eating and scratching away at her innards. there wasn't enough love in the world to stop her hunger.

she followed obediently behind him, doing her best to keep up with his wide strides as they ambled further from the crags. her eyes roamed about them, desperate to absorb all the new information. out here, she had no reason to fear. even she acknowledged the sheer strength of her own father, and her childish mind had fast accepted him to be a god-like figure, incapable of being brought down. it made her feel safe and so, she had no reason to be hesitant.

soon, they had come to a new place and it was then that her father had come to a halt. she had been preoccupied by the world around her for some time though the sudden change in scent had brought her ears and eyes forward once more. she had smelt blood before, lupine included, thanks to her mother's meals and the leftover remains from their birth. still, she had never smelt is so strong. it made the air heavy around her as she ambled forward to her father's side, pressed against his front leg as she stared into the torn and shredded flesh. crimson had marked the earth now, mud having formed where the blood had been thickest. for some time, she did not seek to utter a single word. she merely stared into the mess with mild interest, her face passive and almost... disinterested. finally, she had flickered an ear as she twisted her head up to look up at her father, blinking with a child-like innocence as she spoke.

"father," she began, her head fallen into a tilted position, "did you play too rough with her?" it is as innocent a question as it ought to be; her voice was always sweet, shrill and girlish in its timbre. she waited patiently for a response before he had moved on to bring her attention to the quiet sounds of children in the den. they whined and cried, and she roamed forward several strides to sniff at the den's entrance. of course, she did her best to avoid the gore between where she had been and the children - she did not wish to soil her fur! she had worked hard to ensure it remained as clean as possible despite her mother's lack of care, after all.

and so, her father's intentions had come to light. he wished for her to play with them? slowly, her eyes roamed back to the older female - or what was left at least - as she pieced it together. had it been her father's intentions to have her do the same? her eyes narrowed in thought, unsure as to whether it was the truth or merely a... thought. nonetheless, she had little capability to think beyond the sounds of the half-blind pups as they squawked and cried. they had gotten louder. it made her take a stout step back, whirling around to face her father with an impudent glare. "they're too loud to play with," she stated flatly, her voice clearly irritated as she sat suddenly with a huff, "can you make them be quiet?"